What Time Do Raids Spawn in Pokémon Go?
As an avid Pokémon Go player and raid organizer in my local community, I‘m often asked what time raids spawn in the game. The short answer is that raids can spawn anytime between 5:00 AM and 7:45 PM local time. Once a raid egg materializes above a gym, you‘ll have 45 minutes until the boss appears.
In this comprehensive guide from a devoted trainer, I’ll break down everything you need to know about Pokémon Go raid times, frequency, difficulty tiers, passes, rewards, and strategies to master these challenging battles.
Raid Spawn Frequency and Peak Times
Raids won‘t spawn overnight, likely to dissuade late night gameplay for safety reasons as Niantic has stated. But theDevelopers never published exact algorithms on raid probability.
Through crowd-sourced research from prominent fansites like The Silph Road subreddit, we can analyze when raids seem most active.
This visual chart illustrates peak raiding activity happens on Wednesdays from 6 PM – 7 PM during the weekly Raid Hour bonus period where eggs spawn at nearly all gyms. Additionally, late afternoon hours between 4 PM – 6 PM tend to see more raids spawn in general across each day.
Early evening clearly stands out as prime raiding time. Personally as a graduate student, the summer months when longer daylight remains after work/dinner also accommodate more possible raid meetups in my group.
Data Source: The Silph Road Subreddit User Reports
Raid Boss Difficulty Tiers
The color of the egg appearing above a gym indicates the difficulty tier and consequent recommended group size to take down the boss. Higher tiers award greater rewards but require carefully chosen counters and movesets.
| Tier | Egg Color | Boss CP Range | Recommended Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Pink | Up to 10,000 | Soloable |
| Tier 3 | Yellow | Up to 20,000 | 2-3 players |
| Tier 5 | Orange | Up to 50,000 | 4-5 players |
| Mega | Red | Over 50,000 | 6-10 players |
Weather boosts can push boss CP and difficulty even higher. For example, my group once fought a 30,983 CP Mega Venusaur in Windy weather – brutal! Choosing proper counters like Moltres with Sky Attack was clutch.
In another Mega Alakazam battle amplified by Cloudy conditions, we almost ran out the 45 minute timer with 7 high level trainers. Having a couple players switch to Tyranitar and Rampardos finally sealed the win just in time!
Raid Passes: Free vs Premium Options
1 free raid pass becomes available whenever you spin a gym’s photo disc, which can only be used for in-person raids on that day. Make sure to spin before battling a boss you travelled to face.
Meanwhile, premium passes bought for coins in the shop last until you trigger them on a raid of choice. Handy when stacking 3 daily freebies isn’t enough, if you ask me.
The premium Remote Raid Pass variant also bought for coins allows engaging bosses remotely from unlimited distance. This flexibility makes building raid parties easier – but beware the lower Premier Ball catch chance compared to in-person participation once you win the fight!
Personally, I tend to save my free daily passes for lower tier bosses convenient to walk to after work or on weekends. For Raid Hour or rare 5-star sightings slightly farther away, I’ll bite the bullet and buy packs of premium passes when needed. Whatever your playstyle, hopefully this clarifies the key pass differences at your disposal!
Raid Rewards Analysis
Beyond the XP gains and chance to capture the boss itself, raids provide useful item bundles. Higher tiers give more rewards, while in-person participation yields greater quantities than remote raiding.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:
- Stardust to power up your Pokémon
- Rare Candy to level up or evolve rare species
- TMs (Technical Machines) to select powerful moves
- Golden Razz Berries to make bosses easier to catch
- Potions/Revives to heal your raid counters
- XP Eggs to activate timed experience multipliers
- Encounter bundles granting chances to catch other creatures
Of course exclusive special items like Unova Stones to evolve new Gen 5 creatures also start becoming possible rewards once you reach trainer level 40 and activate Adventure Sync walking bonuses.
Getting 12 or 13 Premier Balls to catch raid bosses takes fast, effective teamwork. So I always invite high level friends using ideal counter picks suitable for the boss weakness whenever organizing private raids through online chats. Then we all reap greater rewards together!
Final Raid Tips from a Battling Expert
As a veteran trainer organizing raids since 2017 legendaries like Articuno and Mewtwo, I’ve picked up some hard-earned wisdom!
Communicate in advance when possible on start times so nobody misses their chance or wastes a pass
Check the local weather forecast for bonuses or hazards altering boss difficulty
Heal and re-join if your first team faints rather than bailing out to maximize damage
Host private groups with ideal counters known to dodge cleanly for smoothest wins
I hope this comprehensive guide from an avid raider helps you maximize your Pokémon Go raid success and hunting! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments.
Happy raiding, and may the IV odds be ever in your favor when catching those bosses. This is Daniel signing off for now!
